


Fallen Angels

by thejammys



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), M/M, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-08 00:54:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19096423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thejammys/pseuds/thejammys
Summary: [Post-Ragnarok // Some Infinity War fix-it] Thor has his brother back. Loki has the Tesseract. The brothers rebuild.





	1. Reading

oooooo

 

The goal is to keep everyone alive.

 

Ordinary circumstances would require kingly duties stretching Thor in ways he’s not prepared for. But there’s no such thing as ordinary anymore, now that Asgard is destroyed.

 

 _It’s a people_.

 

Thor clings to this thought as the last of his kind hurtle through space, scared and nearly helpless. The fragments of their home get further and further away everyday.

 

The immediate relief to find themselves alive that flooded everyone in the aftermath of the battle with Hela evaporated by the end of the first week. The children are restless, vexed with the confines of the ship’s hallways and lack of proper playing space. Asgard’s youth are crafty and clever, initially making the best of their surroundings and inventing games to utilize the lack of breathing room.

 

Their wonder and folly sours when there is no reprieve. They are used to sprawling fields, open training yards, wide rivers, and a sea that flows right off the edge of their world.

 

They are tormented by the vastness of space. Thick panes of glass separate them from infinite openness. It eludes them, mocks them, and makes them feel more fragile with every hour.

 

There is no such thing as night or day.

 

Asgardians were too distracted with locating loved ones and mourning those who were lost to worry about keeping time when they first departed and had a semblance of what was what.

 

The days blend together quickly.

 

Witches and mages call on the threads of seidr that weave through the universe and attempt to gain their footing. But time is relative, changing on every planet and every system. It becomes impossible to keep up with, and there are better uses of their skills.

 

Thor worries about feeding everyone.

 

The ship’s navigation system functions properly, thank the Norns, and the course for Earth was set the moment he caught his breath after he boarded. It tells him they are far away from their new home.

 

There are provisions, basic food and medical supplies that such a ship comes stocked with, but they are not intended for such a large population. Korg aided Thor in taking inventory and coming up with the best way to ration what they have so no one will starve. Extra sustenance goes to those who are pregnant or ill. The growing children of Asgard must make due for a few weeks.

 

The people aren’t used to this. Poverty was near to nonexistent in Asgard, and even the most humbly employed among the people were used to full bellies. Tensions arise quickly, and Thor pleads with his people to trust that this is temporary, that they are lucky to be alive, that they have already survived the worst.

 

Nothing but a tremendous love for their new king keeps them quiet.

 

The Statesman doesn’t have enough rooms for everyone. There are ten private quarters and a large gymnasium type area where cargo would usually be held. Thor makes a list of everyone on board, counting families together, and says they will take turns using the rooms.

 

He includes himself on that list, believing his right to privacy to be no more important than anyone else’s. Thor won’t have a turn until just before they arrive on Earth.

 

Those who are still waiting for their go must huddle together in the cargo bay and use their capes as pillows and blankets. Thankfully the area is temperature controlled, as the chill from space would likely leave Asgard with an even further reduced population.

 

This becomes almost unbearable after a few days as something else everyone has grown accustomed to is lacking on the ship.

 

There are no baths.

 

Six small bathrooms and hand soap are the only luxuries they’re afforded. The water in the sinks must be rationed for cooking and waste disposal, but Thor is sympathetic to their plight. People take hand towels and scrub themselves as they hunch over the sinks, moving as quickly as they can with the freezing water.

 

Thor echoes his promises about a better life and the impermanence of their environment.

 

The people have no choice but to listen.

 

They have just enough fuel to make it to Earth, and Thor has never been more grateful for anything in his life.

 

Except perhaps for the moment a vision of his father transformed into that of his brother.

 

Thor spends the bulk of his days making plans for their new life on Earth. People will need homes, food, jobs, clothing, education, and so much more. He knows exactly where they are headed: the place where he last saw his father. Thor prays that the government of the land will recognize him as an Avenger and not take the pleas of an ‘Asgardian God’ for the ravings of a madman.

 

He needs a council, to assist with the planning.

 

Two men and one woman he has known since childhood, who aided his father in similar matters, are on the Statesman. They lend their guidance and wisdom and their strength doubles Thor’s resolve to do his job well.

 

Heimdall is an obvious choice, and the Valkyrie. Banner knows the most about Earth and is an invaluable voice.

 

He calls upon two more, who served in the palace guard, and then two healers. Thor wants well-rounded perspectives.

 

They meet daily, often for hours.

 

Thor welcomes the distraction. He knows there was no other way but to resurrect Surtur, that he and his team could not have defeated his sister.

 

But guilt gnaws at him.

 

Korg is not officially on the council, but he often offers words of comfort to Thor.

 

“You’re doing the best you can, aren’t you.”

 

It’s always a statement.

 

There is one voice Thor aches for, one that he cannot allow in the room, one that no one but him respects or considers.

 

But Loki is unusually tight-lipped.

 

Thor seeks him out after every meeting, intending to divulge everything he’s spent the last several hours studying and worrying over, but when he spots his brother, always in the same place, staring out a window with sad eyes and a pull at the corners of his lips, Thor takes a seat next to him and says nothing.

 

He could pass just as many hours like this if he were permitted the time.

 

Ten days into their journey, at anyone’s best guess for it could be nine or fifteen, Loki takes a deep breath and interrupts their silence.

 

“He will come for me.”

 

“I will protect you,” Thor answers instantly.

 

Loki turns his head to his brother and considers the statement. What was once a young fool’s arrogance is now a king’s pledge.

 

Thor expects to be mocked or for an argument to break out.

 

But Loki is quiet, and by the time Thor turns to look his brother is already staring out the window again.

 

They stay like that for a long time, though there’s no measure for it.

 

Thor can see Loki’s reflection in the glass, and he knows the image of tear streaks painting his brother’s cheeks are not a distortion of light.

 

His stomach churns and his hand twitches for Mjolnir, wanting to destroy the things bringing his brother grief.

 

But Mjolnir is gone, and there is nothing for Thor to take his rage out on. So he takes a steadying breath and turns to his sibling.

 

“I will not lose you again.”

 

Loki’s eyes flick to him and it looks as though he might say something, but instead he presses his lips together and stares at Thor.

 

“Your majesty, forgive me for interrupting,” comes a voice off to their left.

 

Thor reluctantly turns from his brother and nods to the woman seeking his attention.

 

Her question is simple, and she departs not even a minute later.

 

By the time he turns back around, Loki is gone.

 

oooooo

 

Thor isn’t sure where Loki sleeps. He isn’t sure Loki _does_ sleep.

 

The part of him that wants to tail his brother and keep him within his sight at all times is drowned by his duties.

 

It comforts his people to see him, to be sleeping in the same place, to be eating the same food. Thor wants to provide all the comfort he can.

 

The people are grateful to Loki for their rescue, aware that without his arrival with the Statesman they would all have lost their lives.

 

But they are also angry.

 

They don’t know that Odin’s death meant Hela’s release, but they know that the man they served for the last few years was not in fact their true king. Loki has never been terribly popular, and for some this is too great a lie to forgive.

 

Perhaps it’s a kindness that Loki keeps himself scarce.

 

Thor knows his brother better than that, though.

 

After a particularly long meeting regarding their future relations with the other realms, Thor waits until all but one other person are left in the room and then puts his elbows on the table and rests his head in his hands.

 

“There is no crown to wear, but it carries a heavy weight,” comes a low voice.

 

Thor huffs a laugh and keeps his head put.

 

Heimdall stays seated across the table.

 

“It’s difficult to believe there was a time when I craved this,” Thor mumbles, aiming his words at the metal surface below his face and hearing them bounce back at him.

 

“The realities of our duties are often different from what we imagine,” Heimdall answers.

 

Thor thinks back to his failed coronation and wonders if he would have listened to Loki had his brother just come out and told Thor he wasn’t ready to take the throne.

 

He knows the answer, but a small part of him wants to believe better of his younger self. It’s the part of him that saw his brother let go and fall into a void. The heart-broken part that accepts his role in everything that’s happened since even before his father banished him.

 

Humility and wisdom are accompanied by guilt and regret.

 

“Loki knew better,” Thor says, rubbing his face and then looking up to meet his friend’s gaze.

 

Heimdall smiles and says nothing.

 

A moment later the door opens again and the Valkyrie enters the room.

 

“Resting, are you?”

 

Thor smiles at her and leans back in his chair. “Join us, won’t you?”

 

She cocks her head and considers the men. “Some of us have _jobs_.”

 

It’s said firmly, but she’s smirking.

 

“Who says we aren’t working?” Thor asks, turning to look at Heimdall hoping for a gesture of agreement.

 

The Valkyrie raises one of her eyebrows and walks toward the table. “Oh? Is there more to be said after that meeting? I wasn’t sure any words were left in our language.”

 

Thor smiles at her as she takes a seat to his left. “I thank you for your patience and contributions.”

 

She leans back in her chair and props her feet on the table. “You can make it up to me when we get to Midgard. I expect to be well-kept in drink.”

 

Even Heimdall smiles at that.

 

“You have my word that we will celebrate gloriously,” Thor assures her.

 

“My celebration is likely to continue long after yours, _my king_.”

 

The three sit in companionable silence for several minutes, closing their eyes and ruminating over everything spoken in the meeting.

 

The Valkyrie breaks the silence by leaning further back in her chair so the metal creaks.

 

“I never thought I would return to Asgard,” she says to the room, to no one in particular.

 

Heimdall and Thor say nothing, so she continues.

 

“There were times when I would dream about getting away from Sakaar and traveling to other planets. Maybe see if they could use a former warrior with a drinking problem.”

 

Thor opens his eye and looks at her.

 

“And then I would get drunk and forget about it. Go hunt for the Grandmaster and resign myself to dying out in the middle of nowhere with nothing but the memory of my former life to comfort me.”

 

Heimdall opens his eyes as well.

 

She’s quiet for a moment. “That life is over,” she says, opening her eyes and meeting Thor’s.

 

It’s not clear if she’s referring to her life with the Valkyries or her life on Sakaar, but the message is the same.

 

“I’m glad for this one.”

 

Thor is glad too.

 

oooooo

 

The Valkyrie’s words stay with Thor through the rest of the night, or day, whichever it is, and he reminds himself that however great their present struggles are, he is grateful for this life.

 

When he was a young child, Thor imagined that he would rule exactly as his father had. He would be beloved by all and the bulk of his duties would include declaring war and sitting on the throne.

 

He would beg Loki to play ‘king’ with him and after promising favors to his brother to gain his agreement the boys would wait until Odin had left the throne room and then sneak in.

 

Thor would climb up onto Hlidskjalf and mime that he was holding Gungnir and stare imposingly at the empty room.

 

“What do you propose we do?” he would ask his brother, who stood dutifully off to his right side.

 

“I propose we-”

 

And Thor would interrupt him each time to cry, “We go to war!”

 

Loki would sigh and then echo his yell. “To war!”

 

Then they would run around the throne room, in the middle of an invisible battle, slaying unseen foes with imagined weapons and glorious battle cries.

 

“Loki, behind you!” Thor would yell out, pretending to throw something at a danger just over his brother’s shoulder.

 

Loki would always turn and look, committed to the game, and then cheer for his brother.

 

It was only when Thor would say, “Loki, it got you!” that Loki would break the illusion.

 

“No, it _didn’t_!” he would insist, stopping his play to glare at his brother.

 

“Yeah, it did,” Thor would argue. “He hit you right here,” he would say, pointing to Loki’s tiny shoulder. “But don’t worry, I killed him.”

 

He always expected to be praised, never understanding why Loki would balk at the notion of being protected by his brother.

 

“Oh yeah?” Loki would goad. “Well you got hit too!” he would say, poking Thor in the stomach. “And now you can’t fight anymore.”

 

“No, I don’t get hit,” Thor would protest.

 

“Yes, you did!”

 

“No, Loki, that’s not how we play!”

 

“That’s not fair!”

 

“Yeah, it is!”

 

“I’m just as strong as you!”

 

“No, I have to protect you!”

 

It never occurred to the boys that the reason their parents were always able to intervene so quickly was because they were always watching this game unfold. They would linger, in the corner of the room hidden by shadow and Frigga’s magic so they didn’t interrupt the boys’ make-believe, and play referee to their children.

 

Loki always dissolved into tears, and Thor would frown and wonder what was possibly upsetting about being protected and cared for.

 

He only got as far as wondering if Loki objected to being hurt before he was protected, never digesting the bit about being ‘just as strong’ as Thor.

 

Frigga would scoop Loki up and dry his tears while she murmured words of comfort to her wounded child.

 

Odin would take Thor’s hand and take him to his room, usually in silence.

 

Thor still shared a bedroom with Loki at that age.

 

Each time such an argument would break out, Thor would stay awake, sitting up in his bed and waiting for his brother to come in.

 

He had to make sure they were still friends.

 

Eventually, Frigga would enter, guiding Loki behind her. He would head straight for his bed and refuse to make eye contact with his brother.

 

“Loki, are you mad at me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

It was always the same question and the same answer.

 

Frigga knew what to expect next.

 

Thor would jump out of his bed and ambush Loki in his.

 

“Get out of my bed, Thor.”

 

“Don’t be mad at me, Loki.”

 

Two commands, both ignored.

 

Frigga would sit down on Loki’s bed and put a hand on each of her sons’ knees. “Loki, do you remember what we talked about?”

 

Loki would pout and say nothing.

 

“Loki.”

 

A tiny lower lip would wobble and Loki would shake his head.

 

“Remember I said that Thor loves you above all else.”

 

Thor would nod, for this was plainly true, but Loki’s eyes were usually shut and pushing out tears.

 

“Thor.”

 

He would look at his mother with raised eyebrows.

 

“Is there anything you would like to say to Loki?”

 

Thor would turn back to his brother and grab his hand.

 

“I love you, Loki.”

 

Loki usually glared at him for this and wrenched his hand away.

 

“Is there anything _else_ you would like to say?”

 

It wasn’t until years later that Thor realized his mother expected his father to have instructed him to apologize to Loki.

 

Odin never did.

 

Frigga got him there though, patiently and kindly. Thor would apologize to his brother and told Loki that he just wanted to protect him because he loved him.

 

Loki would fuss for a bit, and then relent. The evenings always ended with the boys sharing ‘I love you’s’ and curling up on the same bed making plans for the next day.

 

The last time they played that game Loki hadn’t cried when Thor said he was attacked. Loki had looked at him with an unreadable expression, and then walked out of the room.

 

Thor resumed playing and didn’t chase his brother.

 

After Loki fell from the Bifrost Thor replayed that day in his head over and over. He would scream at himself for not chasing Loki, for not learning that this was a wound in the first place.

 

But the past could not be undone.

 

Thor wants to bring this up with Loki. To tell him that over a millennia later he still regretted not going after him that day. But a larger part of Thor hopes that Loki has forgotten about this and isn’t carrying it around on the list he’s made of reasons he wasn’t loved.

 

There is so much he wants to say to Loki. So much he wants to _ask_ Loki.

 

Mostly though, he just wants to be near him. He wants to feel Loki’s warmth and hear his breathing and know that his brother is whole and alive. To see that there is no gaping wound in his stomach, no cold void of space wrapping him up, no invisible enemy lingering just behind him.

 

The first time he thought Loki dead, Thor wanted to jump after him.

 

He was brash, and impulsive, and only the sight of his mother’s broken face was enough to remind him that he was needed on Asgard.

 

Frigga held him for hours while they wept together. Many nights passed with Thor falling asleep with his head cradled in her lap. Sometimes he would cry so hard he vomited, and Frigga would rub his back and try to soothe him as she shook with her own sobs.

 

Thor assumed that Odin didn’t join them because he was needed on the throne.

 

Food lost its taste. Music was irritating. Even sunlight would make Thor rage, as though the sky was mocking him. He brought storms to Asgard, threatening to drown the fields and ruin the crops.

 

Nothing brought Thor joy.

 

His friends were loyal, as ever, and attempted to urge him out to train or hunt. Thor would thank them for their invitations and reject them just as kindly. Then he would wander from the palace in a daze with storm clouds chasing him all the while.

 

Thor thought to ask Heimdall if he could see his brother, but after hearing ‘I cannot’ enough times to set his stomach rolling, Thor stopped inquiring.

 

Odin watched after his son and stayed silent.

 

“Do you miss him?” Thor asked his father one morning, certain of the answer but needing to hear it.

 

“Who?”

 

The response knocked Thor on his ass. He excused himself and didn’t make it out of the throne room before his tears fell.

 

Sif came to Thor one night after supper. He had been sitting on a window ledge and gazing out over the city.

 

“Are you well?” she had asked him, placing a loving hand on his shoulder.

 

“I may never be well again,” was his reality.

 

“I fear this isn’t normal, Thor. Your grief is destroying you.”

 

It had already destroyed him.

 

Loki was everything to him, and Thor realized it too late.

 

He always knew that his brother was his favorite person, his best friend, his confidant, ‘the one he loved above all else’.

 

Thor assumed everyone else knew this as well, but it seemed that such sentiments had missed Loki’s ears.

 

Now he realized the depth of it. Knew how much more to it there was, and why this hole in his heart couldn’t heal.

 

The great love of his life was gone.

 

The second time he believed Loki dead was even worse.

 

Thor couldn’t linger on Asgard. Every bit of it reminded him of his brother, made him hope for another miracle.

 

More than that, he was certain now of what he felt. What he shouldn’t feel.

 

It wasn’t fair to Jane that she helped to distract him from his desires, but Thor felt helpless.

 

She was wise though, and knew his heart was off chasing something forever beyond his reach. They never discussed it explicitly, but she knew Thor mourned his brother and needed to let his heart focus.

 

When she ended things, Thor set about distracting himself. Running all the while from that which had already bloomed inside him.

 

There was no escaping this, and Thor feared there was no healing from it either.

 

He was haunted by his brother’s ghost.

 

The mix of fury and betrayal he felt upon learning it was a lie was smothered in relief.

 

“I can’t believe you’re alive,” he’d said. _I told myself not to pray for it_.

 

And Loki didn’t seem apologetic, though Thor didn’t really expect him to be.

 

Loki had seen Thor leave Asgard, so soon after his ‘death’. Had seen him return to the woman Loki despised. It was unlikely that Loki would ever believe or appreciate the depth of Thor’s suffering, no matter how Thor described it.

 

Now, here they were.

 

When Loki said ‘I’m here’, it had taken every ounce of self control Thor had not to fly across the room to his brother. He didn’t want to risk scaring Loki away.

 

But he had laughed, had walked over, and had murmured, “Come here, cow,” as he tugged Loki into his arms.

 

He expected it to feel new, as he hadn’t hugged his brother in decades, possibly centuries. But there are some things the body doesn’t forget, and holding Loki close felt as familiar as breathing.

 

Thor had buried his face into dark curls and wrapped his arms as tight as he could without breaking Loki’s ribs.

 

Loki had hugged him back, had tucked his face into Thor’s neck and relaxed against his brother.

 

They’d stayed like that through several deep breaths, listening to each other’s heart beats and taking in familiar scents.

 

Then Loki had patted him on the back and stepped out of the embrace.

 

They had looked at each other for a few moments before Loki said, “You don’t smell good.”

 

Thor had laughed and shoved Loki’s shoulder.

 

And the way his brother grinned at him was seared into Thor’s mind.

 

He’d wanted to hug Loki every moment since then. Wanted to pull him close and feel his pulse, screaming that he was alive.

 

But in lieu of this, it was enough to hear him breathe.

 

This was why Thor was able to sit in silence with his brother.

 

It was enough.

 

oooooo

 

He’s eating dinner with Heimdall when Loki appears at his side.

 

Everyone has lost weight in their time on the ship, but Loki has always worn weight loss differently.

 

It alarms Thor.

 

“Gatekeeper,” Loki greets as he takes a seat beside his brother.

 

Heimdall nods at him and continues to eat.

 

Thor nudges him in greeting and swallows the food in his mouth. “Have you eaten?”

 

“Yes,” Loki answers, and Thor suspects it’s a lie based on the growl that follows from Loki’s stomach.

 

He and Heimdall both raise their eyebrows at Loki, who merely stares back, challenging them to call him on it.

 

“You sound hungry,” Thor says.

 

“We’re all hungry.”

 

Loki’s not wrong, but Thor doesn’t want to see his sibling going unfed. He wonders again if skipping his rations is some kind of restitution in Loki’s mind - leaving the limited food for others. But it doesn’t sound like Loki.

 

Thor takes in his brother’s face and decides not to press the issue.

 

Instead he asks, “What have you gotten yourself up to today?”

 

“Reading.”

 

Thor is surprised by that. “Reading what?” He wasn’t aware there were any books on board.

 

“The stars,” is Loki’s simple reply.

 

Heimdall nods, knowingly.

 

Thor frowns.

 

There’s something to Loki’s voice that sets him ill at ease. There’s no amusement, no mischief - he sounds sad.

 

Thor can’t stand it.

 

He wants to lean in and lay his head over his brother’s heart and ask Loki what’s causing him pain, but there’s an audience - and it likely wouldn’t go over well.

 

“What do the stars say?” he asks.

 

Loki looks up to find Heimdall staring at him. Thor looks between them and wonders what unspoken agreement they just came to.

 

“How far are we from Midgard?” Loki deflects, breaking his eye contact with Heimdall and fixing his green eyes onto his brother’s face.

 

“Bruce says we are many miles still, but we are on course to arrive in less time than we have spent on the ship,” Thor supplies, regretting that he can’t be more specific.

 

The council agreed that for safety reasons they wouldn’t reveal precisely how far away they were from their destination, not wanting to incite a riot out of frustration.

 

Loki nods and then gets up and leaves without another word.

 

Thor watches him walk away and wants to follow. When he turns back to face the table, after Loki’s out of sight, he finds Heimdall staring at him.

 

“What?”

 

“Do you know who he’s watching for?” Heimdall asks.

 

Truthfully, no.

 

Thor shakes his head.

 

Heimdall sighs and shakes his head. “The sooner we’re out of open space, the better.”

 

oooooo

 

Several days later, Thor finds Loki in his usual spot.

 

“Reading again?” he asks as he takes a seat beside his brother.

 

Loki smiles at the glass. “Have you come to join me, brother?”

 

Thor isn’t sure how to read the stars, and he suspects that Loki won’t have the patience to teach him, but he is here to join Loki all the same.

 

“You’ve made yourself so scarce, I’ve hardly seen you.”

 

Loki turns to look at his brother and raises one eyebrow. “You see me everyday.”

 

Thor wonders if Loki actually can tell time with his magic and is certain that their visits are daily.

 

“It feels infrequent,” Thor answers.

 

It’s as honest as he knows.

 

“Ah, Thor, don’t tell me you _miss_ me.”

 

Thor looks at Loki, pleased to see mischief behind his eyes and an amused smirk. It’s the most life like he’s seen his brother in weeks.

 

“Every day, Loki.”

 

And they both know he’s talking about more than just their time on the ship, and Loki’s expression falters for all of a second before he fixes it once more and lifts both eyebrows as he turns to face the glass again.

 

“We would certainly spend more time together if you allowed me into your council meetings.”

 

Thor has to suppress a grin.

 

It’s the first time Loki has brought it up, to which Thor is surprised. He expected Loki to _demand_ to be included on the council. To find that his brother instead disappeared for hours on end and allowed major decisions to be made without his input nearly alarmed Thor.

 

“After all,” Loki continued. “I am the only one on this ship who has experience acting as king.”

 

Thor lets his grin loose. “Yes, and I don’t think our people have quite forgiven you for it.”

 

Loki scoffs. “Was saving their lives not enough?”

 

“For some, probably,” Thor concedes.

 

“And for you?” Loki asks.

 

Thor looks at his brother, meeting his gaze and wishing he had said this long ago. “Having you beside me is enough.”

 

Loki seems pleased with this answer and fixes his stare back on the stars before them.

 

They sit in easy silence before Thor asks,

 

“When was the last time you slept?”

 

Loki frowns at him. “What?”

 

“Did you sleep last night?” Thor amends.

 

Loki continues to frown.

 

“Why?”

 

Thor wants to smack him. _Because you’re my brother and I’m worried about you_.

 

“You have bags under your eyes.”

 

“So do you,” Loki fires back, defensively.

 

Thor holds up his hands. “I don’t mean to insult you, brother - I am only looking after your health.”

 

Loki rolls his eyes.

 

“You have other things to look after.”

 

“I will always look after you first.”

 

Loki considers this for a moment, simply staring at Thor. Then his eyes grow more and more narrow and Thor knows this face and can hear the word before it leaves Loki’s mouth.

 

 _“Really_.”

 

It isn’t a question.

 

Thor feels like a child again, confused over Loki getting upset at being told that Thor needed to protect him.

 

“Yes, Loki,” is all he can say.

 

Loki is quiet, and Thor imagines that his brother is deciding which verbal barb to pierce him with. But instead he says, “Good.”

 

Thor considers this a victory.

 

“It’s our turn to get a private room tonight. I think the bed will do you good,” Thor says, hoping that he sounds casual.

 

“ _Our_ turn?” Loki repeats.

 

“Families take turns together.”

 

“You would share your bed with me?”

 

It’s possible that this is a test, but Thor doesn’t want to risk anything.

 

“I’m quite used to sharing a bed with you, Loki.”

 

Loki snorts. “As children, perhaps.”

 

“I’m certain you still drool.”

 

“And I am certain you still _snore_. I’ll get no rest beside you,” Loki fires back, still with that glint of amusement in his eyes.

 

It comforts Thor, almost allows him forget the reality of their situation in its familiarity.

 

“All the same, you’ll be more comfortable.”

 

“Have the sheets been washed at all?” Loki asks.

 

Thor gives him an apologetic look and Loki makes a face.

 

Loki has always been finicky about such things. He doesn’t like to interact with other people’s _grime_.

 

“We wash the pillowcases,” Thor offers.

 

Loki purses his lips and continues to look displeased.

 

“Couldn’t you use your magic?”

 

“I’m saving it.”

 

Just as Thor is about to ask ‘For what?’ they are interrupted by children running by, in the middle of a game. They pause to greet their king and their prince, and then continue on their way.

 

Thor smiles at their bright, tiny faces and envisions a younger version of himself and his brother running through the halls.

 

“When will you turn in?” Loki asks after the children are out of sight.

 

“After supper.”

 

Loki nods.

 

He looks like he’s about to walk away, so Thor reaches out and grabs his wrist.

 

They both jump at the contact.

 

“Join me for the meal, won’t you?” Thor asks.

 

Loki considers him for a moment. “You just want to make sure I eat.”

 

“Perhaps.”

 

Loki, never one to be told what to do, says, “I will see you after, brother,” as he pulls his wrist out of Thor’s grasp, and then turns to walk away.

 

oooooo

 

Thor is distracted throughout his meal.

 

He, much like everyone else aboard the ship, has slept terribly since the start of their voyage.

 

Some of it is the physical discomfort of trying to make a bed out of a hard floor. There is constant noise, from the sound of throats clearing to people getting up and moving around, and he long ago volunteered his cape to a mother who had nothing to cover herself with.

 

It’s mostly the nightmares though. He closes his eyes and sees Asgard blowing apart, or Loki letting go, or Loki being stabbed, and he jerks awake and hopes that he wasn’t making sound in his sleep and disturbing others.

 

Then he rolls over, unable to fall back asleep, and wonders where Loki is and what he’s doing.

 

Tonight he will be able to listen to Loki breathe, to watch a steady rise and fall of his tummy, to see his chest bounce above his heart - it feels like a gift.

 

Bruce is talking to him, but Thor couldn’t wager a guess about what. He’s keeping an eye out for his brother, hoping that he will pop up beside him once more.

 

Thankfully the Valkyrie is there to keep the conversation going.

 

Just as Thor is about to dismiss himself to go seek his sibling, a welcome voice appears by his side.

 

“Brother.”

 

Loki slips on to the bench beside Thor, sitting so close their thighs are nearly touching.

 

“Loki, hello,” Bruce says, somewhat timidly.

 

Loki smiles in response, and Thor can feel how much it unsettles his friend.

 

“Are you ready?” Thor asks his brother.

 

“As I’ll ever be.”

 

“Please excuse us, tonight is our turn to have a room,” Thor explains as he rises from the table.

 

The Valkyrie and Bruce look surprised at this.

 

“You’re going to share a room?” Bruce asks.

 

“You’re going to share a _bed_?” the Valkyrie clarifies.

 

Loki makes a face Thor knows well and before his brother can say anything Thor cuts him off.

 

“There is no one else on this ship I would rather share a bed with.”

 

Even Loki looks surprised at that, but he fixes his face to look pleased and haughty.

 

After everything, he is still Thor’s favorite.

 

The Valkyrie and Bruce have mixed expressions. Her eyebrows are up near her hairline and his mouth is open, but they say nothing as the brothers walk away.

 

“Are they-”

 

“Don’t,” Bruce interrupts, shaking his head. “Don’t just. Oh boy,” he mumbles as he covers his face with his hands.

 

oooooo

 

They’ve been in this room once before, right after take off. It was where they hugged.

 

It’s small, but they don’t need a lot of space to sleep.

 

The alcohol has long since been drained, and Thor briefly mourns the loss.

 

Loki goes to stand by the window and stares out at the stars, his new pastime.

 

Thor moves to stand beside his brother and wonders what Loki is searching for.

 

He’s exhausted, and eager to climb into bed beside his brother, but he’ll wait until Loki is ready.

 

Thor wonders if it will be like this when they get to Earth; if he will wake up to find Loki staring up at space and looking close to tears.

 

Heimdall had said it would be good to get out of open space, so perhaps the threat only remained as long as they were on the ship.

 

There would be new threats on Earth, though, and bringing Loki back wasn’t likely to earn Thor a lot of good will.

 

As if reading his mind, Loki breaks the silence.

 

“Do you really think it’s a good idea to go back to Earth?”

 

“Yes, of course. The people of Earth love me. I’m very popular.”

 

Loki sucks in a breath.

 

“Let me rephrase that: do you really think it’s a good idea to bring _me_ back to Earth?”

 

“Probably not, to be honest. But I wouldn’t worry, brother. I feel like everything is gonna work out fine.”

 

Their smiles fade away as the room is cast in a massive shadow.

 

Beside him, Thor hears his brother whisper,

 

“ _He’s here_.”

 

oooooo


	2. Plan B

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brothers are out of time.

oooooo

 

_ “He’s here.” _

 

“Who’s here?” Thor asks, horrified at the expression on his brother’s face.

 

Loki turns to look at him, wild panic in his eyes, and reaches his hands out blindly until Thor grips them.

 

“Thor, listen to me we don’t have a lot of time -”

 

The Statesman shudders and the brothers look back outside, each realizing that they’ve just been boarded.

 

“Loki, I have to go -”

 

“No!” Loki shrieks, gripping Thor’s hands tighter and keeping him there. “ _ Listen _ to me - he’s here for one of two things and he won’t leave without it.”

 

“Loki,  _ who _ ?”

 

A voice booms above them, followed by a magnificent ripping sound as the ship is torn apart.

 

“Thanos,” Loki whispers.

 

Thor feels his brother begin to tremble.

 

“Loki -”

 

“I’m going to die, Thor.”

 

Thor’s heart falls into his stomach and he seizes Loki closer. “You will  _ not _ ,” he insists. “I will do anything - I can protect you -”

 

Loki is shaking his head. “Thor, you don’t understand who this is-”

 

The sound of screaming reaches their ears and the brothers know their time is up.

 

“Do you trust me?” Loki asks quickly.

 

“What?”

 

“ _ Do you trust me?” _ Loki hisses, more insistently.

 

In spite of himself, Thor does.

 

oooooo

 

Thor wonders how long Loki has been planning for this, if his brother has lived with this fear since New York.

 

Loki conveyed the plan quickly as they ran through the halls, towards the screaming, towards Thanos.

 

There wasn’t time to argue or correct, Thor couldn’t think straight enough for it, and he was willing to agree to anything that kept his brother  _ alive _ . It’s only by the mercy of the Norns that they run into Bruce and Heimdall on their way and have time to fill them in.

 

It’s a small favor that only a small number of their people have fallen victim to Thanos and his children. The Valkyrie stealthily led people into escape pods, cramming everyone to the brim and plugging in precise coordinates for their ships.

 

They’re trying to be as quiet as possible, but Thanos seems primarily concerned with Thor and his brother.

 

If Loki knew all along that this man was hunting him, or them, or perhaps even the ship, then Thor would have liked the heads up. It would have given him a chance to make arrangements for his people so that none would have fallen.

 

Perhaps Loki had attempted to make such plans and only found himself unsuccessful now that the reaper was here.

 

Thor is torn apart by the bodies he sees before him, and feels like a failure once more.

 

The only ones left alive, save those who’ve escaped, are Bruce, Heimdall, Loki, and himself.

 

And Thor will be damned if he loses a single one of them.

 

Thanos picks him up and drags him, monologuing. Thor barely takes it in as his mind replays Loki’s instructions.

 

He isn’t sure what part of the plan necessitates Loki saying ‘Kill away’ and Thanos torturing him, but he’s too focused on remaining conscious to worry over it.

 

_ Trust Loki _ , he reminds himself.

 

“Alright, stop!”

 

_ You could have said that sooner _ , Thor thinks as he blinks his eye furiously to keep himself aware.

 

“We don’t have the Tesseract, it was destroyed on Asgard,” he says.

 

When Loki pulls out the Tesseract, Thor does his part.

 

“You really are the worst, brother.”

 

Loki instructed Thor to chide him, to be disappointed. His shock is real, as Thor had truly believed the thing to have obliterated with their realm. But he also knows that he was the one who sent  _ Loki _ of all people into the weapons vault unsupervised. What did he expect to happen?

 

Thor isn’t sure how Loki is going to make the decision about Plan A versus Plan B, but what he says next will tell Thor what to do.

 

“I assure you, brother, the sun will shine on us again.”

 

Plan B, it is.

 

“Your optimism is misplaced, Asgardian,” says a cruel voice.

 

“Well for one thing,” Loki begins as Thor hopes and prays that Banner is ready, “I’m not Asgardian. And for another -”

 

Thor holds his breath.

 

“We have a Hulk.”

 

Loki throws the Tesseract into the air and dive tackles Thor to safety as the Hulk launches himself at Thanos.

 

Thor doesn’t care for Plan B. It leaves too much room for interpretation, but Loki had merely insisted that his brother  _ trust him _ .

 

“Let him have his fun,” they hear as the Hulk distracts Thanos with his fists.

 

Loki has his hands on Thor’s face and is looking at him in a way Thor has never seen before.

 

“I will be right back,” Loki whispers.

 

Thor wants to beg him not to go just as much as he wants to throw Loki as far away from this danger as possible.

 

_ Trust Loki. _

 

Thor turns and kisses his brother’s palm, in case it’s the last time he’s able to do so, and says a prayer to every god he can name that this is successful.

 

Then, Loki disappears.

 

As soon as the Hulk is defeated, it’s Thor’s turn.

 

He launches himself at Thanos, taking care to pull his attention away from his brother.

 

The fight isn’t long, and Thor is subdued quickly.

 

“All fathers, let the dark magic flow through me one last time,” says Heimdall’s voice, and though Thor can plainly see his friend lying in front of him, the voice sounds as though it’s coming from off to his right.

 

When the Hulk is gone, Thor breathes a sigh of relief.

 

_ One out of four. _

 

“That was a mistake.”

 

Thor watches in horror as Heimdall is run through, watches the light leave his eyes, and he screams.

 

“You’re going to die for that!” he swears before a gag affixes itself around him and he hears a taunting “Shh.”

 

He can hear the blood pumping in his ears.

 

_ The plan has failed _ .  _ The plan has failed _ . He’s restrained, he can’t grab Loki and run - and even if he could there’s nowhere to run  _ to. _

 

Loki swore that Heimdall would be leaving with them, and the way that the gatekeeper had looked at Loki while he explained the plan made Thor believe they had already discussed it.

 

He thinks back to when he asked Loki what the stars had said and caught Heimdall and his brother sharing a look.

 

_ They were prepared for this _ .

 

Loki had also said  _ I’m going to die _ .

 

Thor can’t breathe. There are tears on his face and his throat is tight, and all he can think about is how he was meant to spend tonight watching his brother sleep.

 

“My humble personage bows before your grandeur…”

 

He’s aware that words are being said, but Thor can’t make them out.

 

Then Thanos grips the Tesseract and crushes it, procuring a small stone. Thor imagined it would have been blue, but it’s glowing faintly green, and he wonders if perhaps Thanos squeezed his head so hard that he can’t make out anything correctly anymore.

 

Thanos affixes the stone into the gauntlet, and Thor hears a voice to his right again.

 

“Now!”

 

Three things happen at once:

 

Thor feels a hand on the back of his shirt, gripping tightly and then yanking him back.

 

There is a massive explosion of light, blinding his good eye and blocking all else from view.

 

And Loki’s voice in his ear.

 

_ “I’m here.” _

 

The last thing Thor hears is Thanos’ roar before darkness consumes him.

 

oooooo

 

When he feels his ass land on solid ground, Thor immediately turns to his side and vomits.

 

Loki’s shaking hands remove his gag and the bile falls onto grass.

 

“Well done, trickster,” comes a familiar voice from behind him, and Thor keens.

 

“Heimdall!” he chokes as he attempts to turn, but Loki is still pulling off his bindings and he can’t quite complete the move.

 

The gatekeeper steps around to put himself in Thor’s field of vision, and smiles down at his king.

 

“I saw you die,” Thor says, not for the first time.

 

Heimdall turns his chin to look at Loki, whose hands are shaking so badly he is struggling with his task to free Thor.

 

“What you saw was a double, one made by your brother.”

 

Thor wants to respond but instead vomits again. He sees Heimdall falter for a moment before the gatekeeper lowers himself to sit in the grass and rest his head on his knees.

 

He should have known that Loki hadn’t revealed his entire plan, he seldom did.

 

When Loki at last rips off the trappings around Thor’s arms he falls back on to his back and hyperventilates.

 

There’s an overwhelming surge of emotions flowing through Thor. He turns and grips his brother’s ankle as he continues to vomit.

 

“It will pass,” Loki pants. “The vomiting.”

 

Thor isn’t sure how his brother knows, but he nods as he heaves.

 

“Where is Banner?” Thor finally manages to get out.

 

Heimdall keeps his head where it is. “He is safe. I will send word to him soon.”

 

“You shouldn’t use it again so quickly,” Loki says breathlessly.

 

“Use what?”

 

Heimdall looks up at his king, appearing surprised by the question.

 

“The Tesseract, Thor,” Loki answers.

 

Thor wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and squeezes Loki’s ankle. “Thanos has the Tesseract-”

 

“Thanos has a spell,” Loki interrupts as he rolls onto his side and grimaces.

 

“What?”

 

But before he can explain, Loki vomits.

 

“Your brother made a copy,” Heimdall begins, pausing to take a deep breath and collect himself. “Thanos does have a stone, but it’s old magic - dark magic.”

 

Thor shakes his head. “What stone?”

 

“It will possess him, and hopefully destroy him.”

 

“Which of the stones has such a power?” Thor asks, blinking and willing himself not to heave again.

 

Heimdall nods at Loki. “I believe he named it something crude.”

 

Thor whips his head to his brother and regrets the decision when it makes him dizzy.

 

“You  _ made  _ an infinity stone,” he says, not believing it.

 

Loki gulps in desperate breaths as his stomach pauses its evacuation long enough to let him answer. “Well, I certainly  _ tried _ .”

 

Thor gapes. “How? How did you - when did you -”

 

But Loki shakes his head and squeezes his eyes shut.

 

“There will be time to explain later, after we regroup with our people,” Heimdall says as he slowly stands.

 

“Where are they?” Thor asks, realizing for the first time that he doesn’t even know where they have landed.

 

Heimdall nods, gesturing behind Thor.

 

When Thor turns, he sees the Valkyrie walking towards them.

 

oooooo

 

The lingering sickness from travel with the Tesseract leaves Thor feeling weak for the rest of the day.

 

But he is king, so he perseveres.

 

The first task is to take a headcount and see who made it out.

 

The numbers are fewer than Thor believed.

 

There is no time to grieve, no time to mourn, he has to rule.

 

Heimdall can’t travel to Bruce just yet, as the effects of the Tesseract have left him shaky and uneven - though he’s been spared the vomiting. They use his gaze to gain their bearings.

 

Everyone has landed exactly where Thor intended them to, in the open field where his father last said he loved him.

 

They’re miles from the nearest town’s local government, but Thor supposes he had better alert the authorities that his people are there. He has to begin making things right.

 

He takes only Heimdall with him, leaving the Valkyrie in charge of keeping everyone calm and together.

 

It’s not safe to reveal that he’s brought Loki. Thor hasn’t yet figured out what to do about that particular piece of the puzzle.

 

Walking is difficult for the pair, and they make frequent stops to keel over and pant.

 

They don’t have the energy to speak.

 

It’s hours before they reach their destination, and they look terrible. But Thor’s people need him to represent the best version of himself - for their sake.

 

The police spot him first, and after they recognize Thor as an Avenger and savior of Earth they usher him and Heimdall to city hall.

 

Thor has to explain what happened several times.

 

_ Our home was destroyed. Our population is small. We are refugees. We wish to build a community here. _

 

Each time he repeats himself he loses steam, feeling drained and hopeless as more and more people shake their heads and aren’t sure where to direct him or what to do.

 

He’s grateful for Heimdall’s strong presence beside him.

 

When they finally get on the phone with the Prime Minister, Thor gets good news.

 

It’s hours before this happens though and night has fallen.

 

Thor thinks of his people, huddled together in a grassy field mourning yet again, and his heart breaks.

 

He wonders what Loki is doing, with nowhere to hide.

 

By the time he and Heimdall are climbing into the back of a police car, accepting a ride back rather than taking off on foot again, Thor has concrete plans for moving forward.

 

There’s a small village, sparsely built up that’s half a mile from where his people are now. Homes were built for fisherman, but never moved into. The infrastructure has already been laid.

 

It’s a gift and a mercy that Thor doesn’t question.

 

When they return to their people, most are asleep - certain now of night and day with the sun tucked safely away and familiar stars glittering above them.

 

Those who remain awake flock to him and Heimdall, hoping for good news that Thor is pleased to deliver.

 

They will move in tomorrow, with the assistance of the local police force.

 

There are many tears and thanks and cheers made to their king.

 

_ They are safe _ .

 

Once Thor has relayed his findings to all those wishing for it, he seeks out Loki.

 

His brother is sitting on the very rock where they last saw their father.

 

Thor doesn’t say anything as he comes around to stand in front of his brother, reaches out to pull Loki up, and wraps him in a tight embrace.

 

Loki can’t hug him back, as his arms are pinned at his sides, but Thor feels his sigh of relief ghost against his neck.

 

“You saved us,” Thor whispers.

 

Loki shakes his head. “I doomed us.”

 

Thor pulls back and gazes into his brother’s face. “If you hadn’t found a way to subdue Thanos, he would have slaughtered us all.”

 

“Thor, I  _ invited _ him in the first place. He sought the Tesseract -”

 

“What would have happened if he found us without it?”

 

“He might not have found you at all had I departed.”

 

“Departed where?” Thor scoffs. “Asgard was destroyed and we fled in a spaceship. Where could you have run off to?”

 

Loki looks at him like he’s daft. “Thor, I had  _ the Tesseract _ .”

 

Ah, yes.

 

Thor turns to look out at the sea. “If you had chosen to leave he may still have come upon us.”

 

He can’t see Loki’s expression, but he hears his brother sigh.

 

“In any case, we are safe now,” Thor continues. “He is dead, right?”

 

Loki moves into his peripheral vision. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

 

Thor turns to his brother. “You aren’t sure?”

 

“Would you care to go back to the Statesman and check?” Loki asks, crossing his arms.

 

It’s a rhetorical question, and they’re silent for a moment.

 

“If he is alive, he will continue to seek the Tesseract.”

 

Loki nods.

 

“I’ll take care of it,” he replies.

 

“How? Does your magic allow you to destroy stones as well as create them?”

 

“I’ll take it off world, far away from you, from this…” Loki says, gesturing back at the huddle of sleeping bodies behind them.

 

Thor feels like vomiting again.

 

“You’ll do no such thing, Loki,” he growls. “You are to stay here with me.”

 

Loki cocks an eyebrow at his brother. “I’m a liability, Thor. As king you should order me to leave.”

 

“We will find another way.”

 

“There  _ is _ no other way.”

 

Sparks dance at the tips of Thor’s fingers and he has to calm himself before a storm can come and drench his unprotected people.

 

“Loki, I told you I will  _ not _ lose you again.”

 

“You left me on Sakaar,” Loki snaps, looking annoyed at Thor’s hands.

 

“I knew you would come to our people’s aid,” Thor says as the sparks remain.

 

Loki narrows his eyes. “You as good as left me to die there. You said yourself I was better off staying on Sakaar-”

 

“ _ You _ said that, Loki,” Thor corrects through gritted teeth.

 

“You agreed with me!” Loki shrieks back, and Thor is grateful for the roar of the waves masking the sound so no one is jarred from their sleep by two bickering brothers.

 

Thor is too tired for this. Loki had weeks to bring this up and he chooses now, after Thor is weary from a battle and a day spent advocating for his people to pick a fight.

 

“We both know why you said that,” Thor says after several deep breaths.

 

Loki’s arms are still folded across his chest. “Oh? And why so ever did I,  _ brother _ ?”

 

“You were hoping I would grab you and beg you to come with me,” Thor answers plainly.

 

Even over the waves, Thor can hear Loki’s sharp intake of breath. His brother’s nostrils flare and Loki glares at him.

 

“That is not remotely accurate.”

 

Thor laughs. “Loki, why lie? We are here now, you have what you want - you’ve come home to me,” he says as he reaches out for his brother’s hand.

 

Loki jerks away and scowls. “You presume much if you think that I am so desperate to be near you,” he spits back.

 

But Thor is no fool. He’s tired, but he’s wise to his brother, and no amount of spitting like a cobra or shrieking like a harpy will undo what Thor knows.

 

“You once told me to never doubt.”

 

Loki is silent for a moment before he drops his arms. “That was a long time ago.”

 

Thor reaches out to grasp his brother’s neck, thumb resting lightly on his cheek, and goes for his childhood standby.

 

“I love you, Loki.”

 

Loki’s eyes grow wide and his lips part.

 

Thor gently runs his thumb over the smooth skin beneath it and and stares at his brother.

 

They stand there, gazing at each other, until the Valkyrie comes up and clears her throat.

 

“If I might interrupt whatever the hell it is you’re doing,” she begins, “I still haven’t heard what happened today. Are we here to stay?”

 

Thor reluctantly lets his arm drop away from Loki and sighs. He relays everything to her, and to Loki, and then advises that they should try to sleep.

 

As she’s walking back, Thor lingers, waiting for his brother.

 

“Loki? Are you coming?”

 

“In a moment,” Loki answers, facing the sea so Thor can’t see his expression.

 

Thor would dearly like to stay there beside his brother, but he knows better.

 

He follows after the Valkyrie.

 

oooooo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is shorter than I usually permit. The next one will be longer. Thank you for reading!


	3. A Fight in the Hallway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The people move into their new homes, and Loki wants his own bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you so so much for the kind reviews and kudos!

oooooo 

 

As exhausted as he is, Thor isn’t able to sleep that night.

 

He finds himself continually lifting his head to check for his brother, each time spying Loki on the same rock.

 

Thor wonders if he’s still reading the stars.

 

If Thanos isn’t dead, or dying as Thor isn’t sure how destructive Loki’s stone actually is, then he will continue to hunt the Tesseract and likely his brother. Loki’s scepter is also on Earth, so it’s possible there are others. Thor has to be prepared for another attack.

 

Once his people are sorted, he will contact the other Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. He needs to let them know that he’s returned, that a threat may be coming, and who he’s brought with him.

 

It may ruin everything.

 

They may react as Doctor Strange had, insisting that Loki leave. They may lose all trust in Thor for bringing him in the first place, for putting his brother above everyone else.

 

If that happens though, Thor has already decided to ask Loki to shapeshift into someone unrecognizable and pretend to obey.

 

_ He will not lose Loki again _ .

 

Not jumping up and running to his brother’s side throughout the night is a task in and of itself. He wants Loki close to him, wants his brother to feel safe, and to know how much he is cared for. Thor wants to grab his brother and shake him and scream everything he should have said before Loki fell.

 

_ You’re my favorite person! _

 

_ Without you I feel no joy! _

 

_ You are everything to me! _

 

But he doesn’t want to scare his brother away. Now that he knows Loki had a way off the ship for the last few weeks and chose to stay gives Thor a modicum of comfort, emboldened by the belief that Loki did so to protect their people should Thanos come knocking.

 

Perhaps now that everyone is safe though… Loki won’t feel the need to linger, and this is what stays Thor’s tongue.

 

Clearly, Loki does not need Thor as much as Thor needs him, or he would not have let Thor wander the realms for years believing his brother to be dead.

 

It pains Thor to realize this, because it laughs in the face of everything Loki believed that made him let go. This notion that he was somehow unloved or not enough - when Thor loves him even more than Loki does.

 

Or perhaps Thor is being arrogant, and Loki really let go because of their father and it had nothing to do with Thor. That their fight, that Loki hissing _ ‘that woman’ _ really didn’t mean what Thor understood it to. He’s never asked Loki exactly  _ why _ and he’s fairly certain Loki would claw his eyes out if he did.

 

Ruminating on that fight had given Thor a glimmer of hope that Loki might have felt the same way that Thor came to realize he did. The idea was ultimately heartbreaking though, that he and Loki could have loved each other in such a way and never acted on it before it was too late.

 

Thor would go back and forth torturing himself. Some nights he would dwell on how rare it was to fall in love with a sibling, and therefore it was far too unlikely that Loki could have shared the same fate. Other times he would close his eyes and see Loki’s crying face and could swear that between everything he was begging Thor to love him as he had Jane.

 

That idea died on Earth when he asked Loki to come home with him, to end the fight together, and then felt a dagger buried in his side.

 

Loki did not feel the same way.

 

Although he was somewhat prepared for it after hammering the improbability, it had nearly destroyed Thor. That Loki was alive, that Thor might get a second chance at loving him properly, only to have it ripped from him again. But he could hardly blame Loki, they were brothers after all.

 

So Thor buried his feelings, telling himself every day that he was moving on and getting past them, when they really only grew stronger and dizzied him. He was afraid to go near his brother, scared that Loki would see right through him and be disgusted with Thor for the truth of his feelings. It felt like an insult to Loki to harbor these desires.

 

And he was angry.

 

Loki had killed people who had done him no wrong. He had tried to subjugate a planet Thor loved and left a wretched mess of death and destruction. Worst of all, he knew Loki wasn’t remorseful.

 

All this kept him from visiting his brother in prison. This mix of inappropriate unrequited love, of disappointment and heartache - and fear. He couldn’t bear the thought that his brother was truly gone and had become this mad creature who denounced their filial love.

 

If he left Loki alone then it would never be confirmed. Schrodinger’s brother.

 

That was years ago, and though Thor is still certain that the depth of his affections is not matched by Loki, he is fairly confident that Loki cares what he thinks. On Svartalfheim, Loki made sure to ‘die’ with Thor believing he was a hero, and that he’d done it for his brother’s sake. This thought was what led Thor to take his gamble on Sakaar, leaving Loki on that planet with the impression that his brother had betrayed him yet again and things could possibly be left that way.

 

He had to know if Loki would come and fix it. To restore his honor in his brother’s eyes.

 

Certainly there was the element of  _ saving their people _ , but Loki had made it clear to Thor he wasn’t as concerned about that.

 

He cared about what Thor thought of him.

 

And his bet had paid off. Loki had appeared to save the day with the Statesman, fought by his brother’s side, and risked his life yet again to resurrect Surtur. Then he stayed to act out his plan of defeating, or at least escaping, Thanos.

 

He had restored Thor’s opinion of him, and could perhaps leave now that he’d done so.

 

The thought makes Thor look up to check after his brother again.

 

Loki is still sitting on the rock.

 

Thor breathes a sigh of relief and drops his head down.

 

He isn’t sure how to be around Loki with these feelings. Looking back, he knows he always felt them, but without naming them and appreciating them for what they were Thor didn’t have anything to reckon with. He simply loved his brother, it was a given.

 

And they weren’t shy with their affections. Thor was forever gripping Loki’s neck, tossing his brother over his shoulder, wrapping an arm around Loki’s shoulders and laughing with him. Loki would fuss with his hair, or lightly run his fingertips over Thor’s limbs to trace runes for protection onto his body, and they had each kissed each other’s cheeks and foreheads more times than they could count.

 

They belonged to each other.

 

Thor was a physical creature and took great pleasure and comfort in their touches. He could fall asleep next to Loki on hunts and feel his brother’s love for him in the way Loki would curl into his side and grip his arm.

 

Loki needed words.

 

He wonders how starved his brother was when he fell, that if Thor had turned and said the right thing if their father could have pulled them both up.

 

The face Loki had made when Thor said ‘I love you’ earlier - Thor realizes with a pang that he can’t remember the last time he had said those words to his brother, while will never forget the last time Loki said them.

 

_ Never doubt _ .

 

Thor vows to be freer with his tongue, more generous with his thoughts. Anything that will keep Loki here.

 

For even if the whole of Thor’s love is unrequited, he will take what he can get. To have Loki alive, to have him near, to have him unchained - this is enough.

 

They are brothers, and Thor needs him.

 

He spends the rest of the night lifting his head to check for Loki and wondering how best to go about speaking Loki’s language.

 

When the sun creeps up over the horizon and announces itself boldly to their defenseless sleeping faces, the rest of his people stir.

 

Policeman are scheduled to arrive first thing, to escort the Asgardians to their new home and collect what’s owed to the government.

 

He had insisted in their meeting the previous day that their new homes and land would be exchanged for currency.

 

There was no time to grab gold or riches when they were fleeing Asgard, but the customary jewels and decorations his people had on their persons at the time are likely worth a small fortune. Thor hates to ask them to part with what little they still have of their former home, but the citizens are eager to aid in the building of their new civilization.

 

Stock will be appraised for value in Krones, and will first be used to pay for their new land.

 

As he waits for the police to arrive, Thor and the Valkyrie collect everything that might be worth something, and wait.

 

There are four ships in the field, and Thor agreed to turn them over to the ministry of defense. They won’t be collected immediately, but Thor encourages his people to strip them of any rations or medical supplies. Anything that might aid their transition.

 

When a long line of cars arrive, prepared to take the Asgardians to their new home, Loki finally leaves his spot and comes to stand beside his brother.

 

One officer eyes him with what might be recognition, and Loki stares right back.

 

Not wanting to see any discord, or risk his brother being arrested, Thor steps closer to Loki and places a hand on his shoulder, hoping to placate the officers.

 

Thor greets the men and women and thanks them for their assistance, introducing them to his people at large and then offering the bag of goods he has collected.

 

A young woman with kind eyes and a warm smile takes it off his hands and promises that an appraiser is on the way and will meet them in the new town.

 

Heimdall guides citizens into cars and one by one they disappear down a long road.

 

When everyone but Thor, Heimdall, and Loki have left, there are a few cars remaining - though Thor has no intention of being separated.

 

He cannot leave Loki unsupervised on Earth, lest another portal come and swallow him up.

 

They’re guided into the back of a car, and Thor keeps a tight grip on his brother’s forearm the whole time. Heimdall occupies the passenger seat.

 

“Fasten your seatbelts,” the officer instructs as he gets in, and Thor and Loki turn to look at each other and smirk.

 

After traveling with the Tesseract, it feels odd to be worried over something like a  _ seatbelt _ . But they comply all the same.

 

When they first spot the town, Thor’s jaw drops.

 

It’s beautiful.

 

Nestled right on the coast, littered with tiny homes, and surrounded by a vast field of green - it’s downright familiar.

 

They climb out of the car and move to join where their people are huddled, all with wide eyes as they take in the view.

 

Thor keeps his hand on Loki’s arm.

 

“Shall we show you the area?” asks an older gentleman. His grin is partially covered by a massive mustache and beard, and the buttons of his uniform are straining to hold together the fabric stretched over his round belly.

 

He reminds Thor of Volstagg, and just ask quickly as he is warmed by the memory of his friend - Thor feels his absence and nearly grimaces.

 

“Please,” he says before turning to Loki. “Stay here and behave.”

 

Loki smiles. “I always behave.”

 

Thor looks over his brother’s shoulder and meets Heimdall’s gaze. “Keep an eye on him while I’m gone.”

 

A small voice in his mind is singing that Loki will take this opportunity out of Thor’s sight to disappear.

 

“I don’t need a babysitter,  _ Thor _ ,” Loki bristles.

 

The Valkyrie snorts audibly and doesn’t bother to hide her amusement when Loki turns his head to glare at her.

 

Heimdall merely nods.

 

“Please don’t leave,” Thor says to his brother.

 

Loki doesn’t respond, but he crosses his arms and frowns.

 

As they walk, the officer explains that the homes were built up by a wealthy proprietor who intended to develop a community supported largely through fishing. The foundations were solid and the buildings were ready to accommodate a new society when the benefactor passed away.

 

The town was left to the government, to sort out, and had remained empty in all the time it stood.

 

Thor won’t need to pay for any of the properties, just the land they sit on.

 

There was a large building, near to where his people waited, that was intended as a town hall of sorts. Meetings could be held there, recreational activities planned, weddings performed. The strength of the stone makes Thor confident.

 

Next they take stock of how many homes there are, and Thor is relieved to find that everyone will have a space. Some families will have to live together, for now at least until there’s time to build new dwellings, but Thor suspects no one will object to this.

 

There are empty storefronts, spaces for new ones, and a littering of other things that will make the adjustment so much easier than Thor could have dreamed possible. The officer granted him the use of a pen and notebook, and Thor has taken notes the entire time.

 

When he returns, the people are restless and eager to see their new homes.

 

Thor asks for a representative from each family to step forward and meet with him so they can arrange who will live where.

 

It takes the better part of an hour, and then Thor tears off pieces of paper with the numbers of their new addresses written on them and hands them out. The accompanying officers walk the people away.

 

No one will live alone.

 

Even the Valkyrie has followed after the young woman she agreed to live with. The lady lost her family to Hela, and immediately expressed that she would feel safer sharing the same roof with someone as strong as the Valkyrie.

 

The remaining party consists of Korg, Meek, Loki, and Heimdall because he has been tasked with watching Loki.

 

Thor puts one hand on his hip, the other still gripping his notebook, and smiles at his brother.

 

Loki does not look amused. “And what do you have planned for me, Thor?”

 

“You’re going to love it.”

 

oooooo

 

The home Thor chose for himself sits at the top of a hill, with a lovely vantage point of the town. There is no throne anymore from which to watch the realm, but this is as close as they can get. 

 

There’s an upstairs apartment that Thor immediately designates as Heimdall’s. It pleases Thor that the gatekeeper will have the best view.

 

Heimdall nods his thanks, accepts his keys, and quietly walks up the stairs to explore his new space.

 

The officer they’re traveling with unlocks the front door on the first floor and moves to the side so they can enter. When the group steps inside to look around, Thor beams.

 

Just inside the entrance there is a small kitchen to the right, with an open counter that grants a view of the rest of the room. A small alcove across from it is bathed in light from the large window beside it, and just beyond is a space likely intended to function as a living room. There’s space for a couch, possibly some chairs, and not much else. There is only one bathroom, although Thor isn’t sure Korg and Meek even use one, and it has a sink with shelves built into the wall beside it, cabinets below, a toilet, a bathtub, and a rack mounted to the wall where they might hang towels.

 

The tour moves quickly with so little to see.

 

“What a lovely place,” Korg says as they take it in.

 

“Let me show you the bedrooms,” Thor says as he guides them down the hallway.

 

One bedroom, the larger of the two, is intended for Meek and Korg.

 

When Thor announces this, he watches Loki’s face and has to fight not to laugh when he sees his brother piece out the math of where that will leave him.

 

“Look at this, Meek!” Korg says brightly as he steps into the room.

 

Loki is still standing in the hallway and frowning. He turns sharply to Thor and glowers.

 

“I’m not sharing a room with you.”

 

Thor grins at him. “Come now, brother, you and I have done this before.”

 

“Yes and it’s why I’m certain I’ll go mad if I’m forced to do it again!”

 

“Ah, Loki, you must remember the fun we had together! Building tents and staying up late telling me stories-”

 

“Thor-”

 

“Loki, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

 

Before Loki can puff up like an angry bird, Thor presses on.

 

“It’s the only way I’ll be able to bargain for your staying here. The people of Earth have to feel safe, and the only way for that to happen is for them to know that I’ve got my eye on you.” Thor taps just below his eye to emphasize the point.

 

Whether or not Loki believes this, as it’s only half the truth, he doesn’t let on. 

 

“Why did you not hand me off to the authorities? Surely your precious Midgardians would sleep much better knowing I’m locked in a cell.”

 

There are a million answers to that.  _ Because I love you. Because I miss you. Because the idea of falling asleep next to you and waking up to your face is the only thing giving me the strength to not collapse with despair over our losses. _

 

“We have a chance to start over,” he settles on.

 

Loki looks annoyed. “To start over? So you do wish to cast aside all that came before? Funny, Thor, that you once asked me if  _ I _ remembered being ‘raised together, playing together -‘”

 

Thor interrupts Loki’s mocking by placing his hand in its favorite spot on Loki’s neck.

 

“You will always be my brother, and I am ever yours,” he murmurs, meaning it in every way and grateful for the ambiguity protecting and revealing his secret. “I want to forgive you. I want the future I believed you and I would have, fighting side by side forever.”

 

“You said our paths diverged long ago,” Loki retorts, knocking Thor’s hand away.

 

“Streams often split and come back together after an arduous journey.”

 

“Are you attempting poetry?”

 

Thor sighs and stares at his brother. He decides to begin giving Loki his words now. “Would you believe me if I told you that I miss you?”

 

Loki stares back at him and then folds his arms over his chest. “No.”

 

“And why not?” Thor asks, trying to sound calmer than he feels, for Loki had accepted this on the Statesman. Apparently Earth brought out the ‘difficult’ in his brother.

 

“Oh, let’s see,” Loki begins sarcastically, and Thor steels himself. “Let’s begin with you letting me fall into an abyss-”

 

“You let go!” Thor interrupts.

 

“- and then after discovering I was alive your first words were ‘Where is the Tesseract’” Loki repeats in a voice that sounds alarmingly like Thor.

 

“You were attacking Earth - I had a duty to defend it. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t relieved to know you lived.”

 

“Ooh,” Loki says as he forges ahead. “Then perhaps you could elaborate on why you never came to visit me in my cell if you were so  _ pleased _ to know I wasn’t dead.”

 

Thor sucks in a breath. He can hardly say  _ Because I’m in love with you and I was scared of losing you again. _

 

“You weren’t in your right mind,” he tries. “I didn’t know how to speak to you.”

 

Loki narrows his eyes. “And surely practice would not have granted you any insight. Better to let me rot there where you wouldn’t be  _ burdened _ with my madness.”

 

“You are not blameless in this -”

 

“Oh, no, of course not. I never am!” Loki spits. “Never mind the decisions you make - if  _ I’m _ around then it defaults to my error.”

 

“It is not one or the other, Loki. We have both made mistakes, and I regret causing you pain, but we have both hurt each other.”

 

Loki breathes heavily through his nose and Thor sees tears come into his eyes.

 

“You left,” he says quietly.

 

Thor is silent, waiting for more, and feels his heart jerk when a tear breaks free from Loki’s eye and glides down his cheek.

 

“What?” he asks gently.

 

“You went back to Earth. I died in your arms and you went back to that woman.”

 

Thor’s hand itches to reach out and wipe the tear away, to grip Loki’s shoulder and heave him into a hug. He’s feared this conversation, knowing that there’s likely nothing he can say that will change how Loki feels. But he tries. “Loki that was the worst moment of my life.”

 

“You moved past it quickly.”

 

“I needed…” Thor begins, unsure of how best to phrase this truth. “A distraction. Asgard became too much - I was surrounded by memories of you.”

 

Loki purses his lips and nods as tears fall from the other eye. “I see. Better to run away than to have to think of me.”

 

“You know that is not what I mean.”

 

And the way Loki looks at him makes Thor pause and wonder if he brother really  _ doesn’t _ know it. It makes Thor curse himself again for not appreciating the power of his words sooner.

 

“How do you mean it, then?” Loki asks. He tries to sound cruel but his voice breaks.

 

Thor doesn’t answer right away. His stomach is churning and he’s itching to call a storm and shock the truth right into his brother.

 

He takes a steadying breath and hazards another gamble.

 

“Loki, do you truly not know how much I love you?”

 

Loki stays silent as tears continue to fall. A wet sniff is his only answer.

 

Thor wonders again why Loki is bringing this up now. They had weeks together on the Statesman, sat together for hours in silence.

 

Silence.

 

And Loki needed words.

 

“The first time I lost you nearly drove me mad,” he says, wondering if it would have made a difference had he said this to Loki after bringing him back to Asgard

 

“Did you search for me?”

 

“Heimdall could not see you.”

 

Loki huffs and rolls his eyes. “Was that the extent of your pursuit?”

 

Thor is taken aback. “Loki, you fell into a void in space…”

 

“There are potions you could have made, magics you could have used, ways you could have called out to me.”

 

And Thor wonders if this is Loki admitting that these would have been his actions should their positions have been reversed.

 

“I did not know them, brother. If I had then you must believe I would have ripped apart the realms to get you back.”

 

“You left me to be tortured at the hands of the Chitauri.”

 

They’ve never spoken of this before.

 

“You were tortured?” Thor asks softly, barely able to speak it.

 

“Of course I was tortured, are you daft? You saw Thanos - you saw him slaughter without pause. He’s ruthless, Thor.”

 

“Loki, I did not know -”

 

“When they would cut me open I told myself you would come, that you and that ridiculous hammer would appear and fight them off.”

 

Thor snaps his mouth shut.

 

“And you barely looked. You were so quick to accept that I was gone forever. You were  _ eager _ for it -”

 

“Stop it,” Thor growls, and this time he’s unable to stop the sparks from reappearing at his fingertips.

 

“You know I expected this from father. His indifference made sense the moment I learned what I was. Is that what did it, Thor? He told you I was a monster and you were glad to be rid of me?”

 

Thor can’t stop his hand from flying out and gripping Loki’s neck and he steps forward to slam his brother against the wall.

 

“I nearly leapt off that bridge after you!” he shouts, crowding Loki.

 

Loki looks stunned for all of a moment as his breath is knocked out of him, but he’s still in attack mode.

 

“Why didn’t you?” he hisses back.

 

Thor rakes his eye over his brother’s face. “Is that what you wish? That my life had ended with yours? Will nothing else convince you of my grief? Of my love?”

 

Loki doesn’t have to say anything, Thor already knows the answer. And for the second time he wonders if Loki is confessing as much as asking.

 

That if Thor had been the one to let go, Loki would have died right beside him.

 

Even if it’s true he knows Loki won’t admit it, but the thought makes Thor soften his grip and wipe Loki’s tears with his thumb.

 

Korg coughs quietly, as though he was trying to stifle it, and though it draws them out of their little world long enough to remember that there is an audience, they don’t break their gaze from one another.

 

Thor lowers his voice, so that only Loki will hear, and moves in so their noses are mere centimeters apart.

 

“We cannot undo the past, Loki. But I would have you by my side as we move forward.”

 

Loki stares at Thor’s eye and Thor feels like he’s a book being read.

 

“I want my own room.”

 

And Thor knows the fight is over, for now. Their misunderstandings and hurts will come up again. He huffs a quiet laugh and drops his forehead against Loki’s.

 

They stay like that for a beat until Loki lightly pushes him away.

 

“You still don’t smell good.”

 

At this, Thor belly laughs. “I’ve been assured we will have running water by this evening and then you’ll be forced to suffer my odor no more.”

 

“I highly doubt this is the end of it.”

 

Loki quickly turns to dry his face as Korg and Meek enter the hallway and Thor steps in front of his brother to grant him privacy.

 

“I think Meek and I will get bunk beds,” Korg says happily.

 

Thor claps a hand on his back and nods. “Excellent. I was told we would be placing an order for furniture today, and perhaps might even have it by tomorrow.”

 

This does mean another night spent without a bed, and Thor has to wait to see what their valuables are worth before he can make any purchases, but it’s the best he can do for now.

 

The group travels upstairs to see Heimdall’s space, and Thor sees Loki is annoyed that the gatekeeper has so much room all to himself.

 

An hour after everyone has met their new home, food is brought to the town.

 

A local soup kitchen with a mobile service has brought basic sustenance, along with a van filled entirely with bottled water.

 

The people are weepy with gratitude.

 

As they eat, Thor meets with the men who will deliver power, gas, and running water to the new homes. Then with the woman responsible for exchanging their goods for currency. She has brought with her the names of wealthy collectors and a few antiques dealers. She sends them photos of the goods on her phone before speaking to them to arrange a price.

 

“If we could arrange for an auction I could get you a much better price for much of this…” she says as she delicately handles his armor.

 

Thor shakes his head. There isn’t time.

 

Thankfully they are left with a bundle.

 

It’s enough to pay for the land and provide basic accommodations in the homes.

 

He’s advised to order everything in bulk, as it will be less expensive that way.

 

Beds, mattresses, tables, chairs, sofas, dressers, cookware, dishes, silverware, bedding, towels, toiletries - Thor consults his list of names frequently and ensures that every household has the same stock.

 

Refrigerators, ovens, and microwaves are so expensive they clear a third of the budget easily.

 

Things like rugs, curtains, art, entertainment, and trinkets will have to come at a later time, and likely at the expense of the individual.

 

Food and clothing are trickier, and Thor opts to give an allowance to each household so that they may make their own decisions about what suits them best.

 

He can’t very well take all of his people into a store at once, but the clothing they select from a catalogue and the officers take their food budgets and offer to run that errand themselves.

 

By nightfall they have some of the basics: like toiletries and linens. They may not have a bed to sleep in yet, but they will have something to cover themselves with.

 

And everyone is eager for a bath.

 

Their kitchens are somewhat stocked, filled with foods both foreign and familiar. The cookware and dishes won’t arrive until tomorrow, so people opt for fruit and sweets that don’t require preparation.

 

Before turning in for the evening, Thor stops by every home to check after the citizens.

 

He still has the notebook and writes down their concerns. They will have a meeting tomorrow morning where Thor intends to address everything.

 

When he finally returns home, Korg and Meek are asleep in the living room.

 

Thor finds Loki lying down on the floor in the center of their bedroom with his arms behind his head.

 

His eyes are wide open.

 

“You should have a bath, Loki,” Thor says as he sits down beside his brother.

 

“ _ You _ are the one who needs a bath, Thor.”

 

“I plan to take one, but I was going to let you go first,” Thor says as he leans forward to tug off his shoes.

 

When Loki doesn’t say anything Thor turns to look at him and sees his brother staring at him.

 

“Are you alright?” Thor asks.

 

“Are you truly not going to send me back to prison?” Loki asks.

 

Thor sincerely hopes this isn’t the beginning of another argument, as he is very tired.

 

“No, Loki, I am not,” he answers firmly.

 

Loki considers him for a moment. “What if your friends demand it?”

 

“The Avengers? I intend to tell them of your acts of heroism, and Banner will be able to back me up.”

 

“Heroism,” Loki repeats with a scoff.

 

Thor succeeds in getting his boots off and then lies down to mirror his brother. They turn their heads to look at each other and for a moment Thor can pretend they are children again, tucking into the same bed after a long day of play, preparing for Loki to tell him a story.

 

“Perhaps you could join the Avengers, your magic would be useful,” Thor says with a tiny grin.

 

Loki narrows his eyes. “I will  _ never _ work for them. They locked me in a cell.”

 

“Well, you were attacking Earth, but alright.”

 

Loki kicks him for it.

 

“Do you intend to rejoin them?” Loki asks, shifting his arms a bit.

 

“If they need me. I owe Earth protection in exchange for welcoming our people.”

 

Loki hums. After a moment of quiet he turns his head back to face the ceiling and closes his eyes.

 

Thor continues to stare at his brother.

 

He really doesn’t know how to be around Loki with these feelings. His want is to trace his fingertip from the edge of Loki’s hairline, down over his nose, and across his lovely lips. He wants to haul his brother into the bath and take his time washing every inch of his Loki’s skin, taking stock of his wounds and healing them with kisses.

 

But he does neither of these things. He stays quiet.

 

Sharing a room with his brother is already a luxury. 

 

It may lead to another argument when a single bed is delivered. But Thor can at least excuse this with the reality of a budget.

 

No need for Loki to suspect how excited Thor is by the prospect.

 

He hears his brother’s stomach growl loudly and frowns.

 

“Loki, have you eaten anything today?”

 

Loki keeps his eyes shut and shakes his head.

 

“There is food in the kitchen, I could grab something for you -”

 

“I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

 

Thor rolls his eye, though Loki can’t see it. “Capable yes, but are you?”

 

He sees Loki open his eyes and side eye him, but he doesn’t turn to face his brother.

 

“I’m fine, Thor.”

 

Loki’s stomach speaks up again to argue, forever betraying him.

 

“We have grapes,” Thor offers.

 

“I will have some before bed,” Loki consents, placing a hand on his stomach as though he means to stop the symphony its letting loose.

 

“Will you sleep tonight?”

 

Loki snaps his head to the side and glares. “Why are you so obsessed over my welfare?”

 

Thor meets Loki’s gaze and knocks his brother’s foot with his own. Given their earlier conversation, Loki is unlikely to believe ‘Because I love you, dumbass’, and though Thor had told him  _ I will always look after you first _ , he doesn’t think reminding Loki of this will suffice.

 

“You didn’t sleep last night,” Thor diverts, “And I suspect you weren’t resting during our time in space either.”

 

Loki hadn’t confirmed it the last time Thor brought this up, but his eye bags were much like his stomach and told the truth when Loki didn’t.

 

“I had other things to worry about,” Loki says, breaking their eye contact.

 

“You’re safe now, Loki,” Thor says, and he hopes that it’s true.

 

Loki rolls his eyes, and Thor knows it’s because he doesn’t really have the authority to proclaim their safety.

 

But Thor will do what he can to make Loki feel secure.

 

“I could stay awake while you sleep. Keep an eye out.”

 

Loki’s eyes flick over to Thor’s eye patch and he smirks at the word play. “As much fun as you might have watching me sleep, you’ll need your wits about you tomorrow.”

 

Thor shrugs. “I’ll be awake for a while anyway. I’ve collected a list of concerns that need addressing and before I turn in I’ll need to review them.”

 

“A list of concerns?”

 

“Things our people want me to address. Questions, you know.”

 

“You haven’t asked for my feedback.”

 

Thor rolls onto his side and props his head up with his right hand. “I’m all ears.”

 

Loki closes his eyes lifts his eyebrows. “I think I should be king.”

 

Thor punches his arm and laughs, pleased to see a satisfied smirk on Loki’s face.

 

“Take a bath and we can talk about it.”

 

At this, Loki sits up and sighs. “Are there towels or do you intend for me to drip dry?”

 

“Towels  _ and _ sheets.”

 

Loki turns to look at him and raises an eyebrow. “There’s no bed, Thor.”

 

“Not yet, but a blanket will be nice after going weeks without one.”

 

“Am I meant to share one with you?” Loki asks after a moment.

 

Thor nods. “But you’ll have it to yourself while I’m working.”

 

Loki says nothing as he rises to his feet and exits the room. Thor hears the bathroom door close and then the sound of running water.

 

He lingers on the floor for a moment and takes deep breaths.

 

There’s a lot to do tonight, the list of concerns he collected is long - though there are repeats, and Thor needs to be prepared. Thankfully, Heimdall will assist him, and before the assembly tomorrow Thor is meeting with his council from the ship.

 

With a heavy sigh, Thor heaves himself up and grabs his notebook.

 

Before he goes upstairs to meet with Heimdall, Thor leaves their blankets in the center of the bedroom with a piece of paper he tore out of his notebook on top.

 

_ Sleep well _ , it reads.

 

oooooo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I want this to resemble what the MCU has established, but this is canon divergent so not all things will match what we saw in Endgame. Also! I made a dedicated twitter account for thorki. So if you’d like to cry about the brothers with me, the link is below. Thanks for bearing with me while we establish the world building, and thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I will add tags as they appear in the story. Thank you for reading!
> 
> You can find me over on:
> 
> https://bundtfuck.tumblr.com/
> 
> https://twitter.com/the_jammys


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